You Make Your Own Miracles
by Angie J Trifid
Summary: Becoming alive again is the easy part. BEING alive... that's a bit trickier. Casper is alive again, but there are always obstacles when you're trying to set your own fate in stone; to create your own miracles and secure yourself a future with the ones you love. Even with death out of the way, being with Kat is about to prove itself more complicated than either of them would like
1. Going Home

**A/N: Hi, just a few notes before I start this fic: first, I don't own **_**Casper**_**, but I really liked the movie. Second, I know this has been done before; I just wanted to give it my own go. Third, I've decided to try out present tense for a change. Fourth, they're a bit older here**

* * *

**Chapter One: Going Home**

_Going home without my sorrow, going home some time tomorrow, going home to where it's better than before._

_Going home without my burden, going home behind the curtain, going home without the costume that I wore._

_~Going Home_ by Leonard Cohen

* * *

He wakes up on a cold floor in a dark room, a skinny boy with blonde hair, a slight tan and blue eyes. The floor below him is solid and his body aches, as though he has been wrenched from it and it has been put back together, molecule-by-molecule, around him. Which, he thinks, it has.

He tries to draw on memories of why he is here, who he is, _where_ he is, anything. Vague images flit before his mind's eye but fade before he can properly grasp at them. He has the memories, he decides, but they are hidden from him, locked away in the back of his mind. Perhaps they will be revealed with time. He hopes this is the case, but all he knows for sure is that it is something different than amnesia.

Realising his body feels stiff, and he has been lying curled up on his side for who-knows-how-long, he opens his eyes and cautiously flattens his palms to the ground, which is not only solid and cold but _hard_; and looking down at his bare, solidified arms and hands (even though he can barely see in the darkness), a voice in his mind says, _It worked._

Something has worked, but he cannot remember what. A procedure, he thinks. Not perfectly, as his memories are almost impossible to call up on his own, but they are there, and the procedure has still worked.

A sudden draft alerts him to the fact that he is not only naked, but _cold_. And now, more surprised to find that he is cold than to find that he is entirely unclothed, he recalls something: his body feels as though it has been rebuilt around him because, before the procedure – whatever it was – he was a _ghost_; and his body really _has_ been rebuilt around him.

And, though he can't be sure yet, he thinks he is older. Especially if the fact that his limbs seem to be longer than he remembers is anything to go by.

He tries to remember why he has undergone such a disorienting and uncomfortable procedure, and his mind allows him to recall a girl: a living girl who, if the multiple brief images and words his mind is throwing at him are anything to accurately think of as his memories, he calls Kat.

Yes, that sounds right. He remembers now, a full memory unlike the others, first seeing her on the television and absolutely _adoring_ her; he also remembers a question he has asked her on more than one occasion, but which he cannot remember her answering with anything more coherent than a mumbled "Mhmm" while she fell asleep: _Can I keep you?_

He realises now that he underwent the procedure for her, to be like her, to be _with_ her. Although currently his memories of her face are a little hazy, he is certain they will soon return with perfect clarity and decides that undergoing a procedure with unpleasant after-aches for Kat is all well and good, but what will be the point if he does not get moving and get back to her?

Pushing himself into a sitting position and feeling out for anything on the floor, he soon comes across a heavy metallic object which feels a lot like a torch. He switches it on and finds a brown duffel bag with a note safety-pinned to it, laying a few feet away from his head. He quickly scrambles over to the bag and carefully tears the note off so that it will still be readable, and then he opens the note and begins to read it by the light of his torch:

_If you're reading this – and you __**should**__ be – then the procedure worked and you've woken up alright on your own. I've aged you up a bit, too, so you'll match Kat's age._

_I've moved you to a different location so you won't be disturbed while you get your bearings. You should find everything you need in the bag. You'll need photos for the ID but you can get them at a photo booth. Good luck._

The signature is illegible and the boy does not know if he can remember who helped him with the procedure, but he is grateful to them. He opens the bag, reaches in and finds a drivers' license and a passport bearing the name Casper McFadden. This name rings a bell and it takes absolutely no guesswork to know that the name is his. According to the ID, he is now sixteen.

Withdrawing the identification, Casper also finds a wallet with a bank card in it – he apparently now has a bank account – and a decent sum of money, some of it in change, along with a note telling him that the bank account contains enough money to get him to Friendship, Maine, so he can return to Whipstaff: another name which rings a bell, and he remembers it as his home. The note also instructs him that he can claim his inheritance when he returns.

Removing the wallet as well, he finds what he is looking for: clothes. He quickly dons the boxers and brown trousers, taking his time somewhat more with the white dress shirt, jacket, shoes and socks, trying to see if he remembers how to dress himself. It takes a while, but he manages. Afterward, he searches the rest of the bag and finds little of interest: casual clothes; pyjamas; an azure necktie. He is about to swap into the casual clothes when a reflective surface in the corner of his eye catches his attention. He turns to the left, revealing the surface to be a mirror. He steps up to this, to examine himself.

He cannot remember the last time he saw his own reflection, but Casper McFadden realises he is a handsome young man. Oh, he feels certain there must be some who look better than himself, but – especially in the smart clothes he is already wearing – his looks are substantial, in a natural sort of way. He likes it.

Another memory thrusts itself forward in his mind: Halloween night, four years ago; the last time he looked like this. He was younger then, and only caught a brief glimpse of himself in the mirror; and at ten o'clock he became a ghost again, but more importantly he danced with Kat, something which he made sure to burn into his memory for all of eternity.

Suddenly wanting nothing more to get back to Whipstaff and Kat, Casper McFadden decides not to change into the more casual clothes. Instead he dons the necktie (which, as it turns out, matches his eyes), packs up his belongings into the duffel bag, and leaves.

* * *

Kat wakes up early on Saturday morning. This is a common occurrence for her, although it did not used to be. Living in Whipstaff Manor has its up sides and down sides, and things which fall in-between. Living with ghosts is without a doubt one of those things which falls in-between the good and the bad. Especially sharing your bedroom with a ghost because you chose their room as yours without knowing it was already theirs.

However, until recently Kat has been – perhaps the word is not exactly blessed, but lucky is not quite the word either – to have been sharing a bedroom with her best friend, Casper. Despite the facts that he is firstly a boy, and secondly dead, Kat's only real complaint about the sleeping arrangements was that he enjoys early mornings, especially on weekends.

Now, though, Kat gets up early on weekends because she feels closer to Casper when she does. A few months ago, he left, determined to find a way to be alive again (other than the Lazarus, which they promptly destroyed after the incident with Carrigan). She knows that his sudden determination to live again comes from his feelings for her and concern that he cannot be with her if he is not alive; and though she understands his reasoning and agrees with him, she misses Casper frequently and wishes he did not leave, even if she _did_ make him promise to return.

Luckily for her, some habits die hard and she holds steadfastly to the habits and routines she has always fallen into with him.

Shutting off her radio-alarm, she hops out of bed and flings open the French windows, stepping onto the balcony. She breathes the fresh morning air and slight sea breeze in deeply, her long dark hair and lacy Victorian nightdress fluttering around her shoulders and ankles, respectively. At sixteen, most people she knows are probably sleeping in skimpy satin things which barely cover their underwear, but Kat knows Casper always liked her in old-fashioned clothes, maybe out of nostalgia, and anyway she doesn't go for the whole skimpy-show-your-whole-body-off-to-the-world type of outfit unless she's at the beach; and even then if she deems it cold enough she wears a wetsuit.

The cool air helps to wake her up and she takes several deep breaths, missing Casper because of the oppressive silence created by his absence. But she knows he will be back, and she knows he is only gone because he cares so deeply for her. He once was able to temporarily overcome death just to dance with her for a few minutes at Halloween. She has full confidence in him.

Kat's pupils dilate and she becomes lost in memory, staring out across the sea but not actually seeing it.

* * *

Casper's forehead bumps against the cold window of the greyhound and he reluctantly wakes up. He is still groggy and has been on the bus since three this afternoon. It must be almost ten now and he knows they will soon stop for an hour, probably at a roadside cafe or a greasy diner, so everyone can eat and stretch their legs before settling down for the night.

If he is honest, he is slightly annoyed at having woken up, but the seat next to him is free so he has a little space. His duffel bag sits next to him and the book he purchased earlier, open on his lap, bounces to the rhythm of the bus' movements as his thumb saves his page.

With his free hand, Casper wipes his eyes sleepily. More of his memories have returned now and he remembers most of his time at Whipstaff Manor, especially time spent with Kat, Dr Harvey, and his uncles. Ah, but he was enjoying dreaming. Things come back to him when he is asleep, memories so clear he wants to reach out and touch them. To stroke Kat's hair or hold her hand; to help Dr Harvey with his work; even to be bullied by his grotesque uncles. And it hurts just a little because he can't. Not yet.

Soon, though.

* * *

Nine o'clock Sunday morning finds Casper still on the greyhound, tie removed when he settled down to sleep the night before and jacket in a pile on his lap (he had used it as a blanket and allowed it to slip down when he woke up). His chin is cupped in his palm, his elbow leans on the armrest and he stares at his own reflection for a while, knowing it will take some getting used to. After a while his gaze flicks past his own reflection and toward the scenery, which he is now beginning to recognise. He knows he will be home soon. He checks his watch, wondering if Kat is up yet.

Once in Maine, Casper takes a taxicab to the town of Friendship. His voice sounds normal and his new vocal chords may take some getting used to, but he does not speak in the taxicab, preferring to listen to the radio. Once in Friendship, he collects his things and pays the driver, breathing in the familiar, homely air with relish. He wants to _walk_ up to Whipstaff, as he has not been able to visibly go out in public in what has been literally decades, and besides that, he doubts anybody will willingly drive him there.

It is little after eleven in the morning now, and he walks slowly, taking in the town. How much everything has changed! Everyone he knew as a child will be ancient or dead now, and many of the young children who visited him over the years when he was a ghost are all grown up. In fact, he recognises many of the adults.

One of them is selling flowers, and a thought comes to him. He buys a dozen flowers, the seller looking at him peculiarly (perhaps she recognises his voice?) and he takes the flowers to the cemetery and searches out the graves of his parents and uncles. He stands in respectful silence for a while.

Now he does something he never got to do before: he puts the flowers on his parents' shared grave. Suddenly a bittersweet grief sweeps over him, and he falls to his knees, buries his face in his hands and begins to cry. Sobs wrack his body, but with each violent shake, the pain lessens. His father is dead but at peace, and his mother the same way, and he lets them go. The longing for them which overtakes him at first gradually ebbs away and after a long five, maybe ten minutes, he stands, wipes away the dirt, lovingly caresses the gravestone, and leaves.

He passes through the children's cemetery on the way out and spots his own grave. He freezes in place, stares at it almost like an arachnophobe might stare at a spider. He feels like a time traveller, visiting his own grave. If he were still a ghost, this would feel normal. But he is not. To know that he is under that patch of grass, those wildflowers, in a little wooden coffin; and yet standing right here in a brand new, perfectly healthy body… it disorients him and by the time he is able to carry on walking, he has lost his bearings.

He is growing impatient with himself now. He wants to see Kat and the others again, and there is nothing wrong with wanting to visit his parents' grave, but his detour has cost him his memory of where to go from here, so he spies out the town square and heads for it, hoping to find a map of some sort.

His luck is in. Casper immediately spots a map, pinned to the bulletin board, and begins to study it carefully, hitching up his bag as it threatens to slip down his shoulder.

What a sight he must look. Dishevelled and tired, yet he feels so full of energy. He must look unkempt, with his shirt and trousers rumpled and his hair probably sticking out at all angles, and his jacket tied around his waist. He rakes his fingers through his hair a few times to smooth it down, and continues to study the map.

The layout of the town is still the same, although many shops have changed. He quickly locates the town square and scans the map for the Manor. Just as he finds it, a female voice next to him says:

"Think I can help?"

He turns around, knowing it will not be Kat but not wanting to be impolite. The owner of the voice is a tall blonde, not unattractive, who looks as though she is head of the cheerleaders and gets everything she wants bought for her by stupidly wealthy parents. Rich in money, but not in the actually _important_ things, like a loving family.

_Or brains,_ the same voice from his mind – the one which told him the procedure worked – tells him now, and offers him another memory. This girl is Amber, a girl who frequently bullies Kat and attempted to ruin the Halloween party when they were twelve.

He politely shakes his head in answer to her question and returns to the map to triple-check that he has it right. He does.

"Where are you going?" Amber asks flirtatiously, and Casper is suddenly reminded that his new form is much more attractive and much less scary (to those who don't know him very well) than his previous, ghostly one. "I'm sure I could take you there."

He decides he will allow her a brief answer and then make his escape. He doesn't want this. He just wants to see Kat again.

He is hesitant forming the word, the syllables, which are so familiar but now so foreign-sounding in his new, older voice, but he manages to reply, "Whipstaff."

Amber's jaw visibly drops at the word "Whipstaff" but she quickly regains her composure. "The haunted place?" she asks.

Casper nods.

"The one where that freak Harvey girl lives?"

Casper cringes at Kat being called a freak – he knows her better; she's not a freak, she's wonderful – but nods again. "I'm going to see Kat."

Amber stands reeling somewhat and Casper chooses now to make a quick getaway. He is, thankfully, fast on his feet.

And if nothing else has come of this, he at least knows where he is going now.

* * *

Kat and her father, Dr Harvey, sit in the den watching the television. The Ghostly Trio, as they like to call themselves, are off wreaking havoc in some other part of the Manor. Kat perches on the arm of Casper's favourite chair, as if he is still there, sitting in it. He always insisted that she take the actual chair but she is the one who took over the bed when she moved in. And besides, it's his chair. Her father has offered her "counselling" to help her accept Casper's absence but she always declines.

Kat is just considering making lunch – no doubt the Ghostly Trio will want feeding soon anyway – when the doorbell rings. She is about to get up but her father beats her to it.

Every time someone hears the doorbell ring now, even if they are already expecting company, they secretly cross their fingers that it will be Casper, come home early. Not just because they themselves miss him, but also because Kat hit a slump after he left and if anyone can pull her through, he can.

Dr James Harvey secretly worries about his daughter. He knows she is just trying to cope with Casper's absence, and he knows (especially after the death of his wife, Amelia) how difficult it is to shake old habits and routines you have with a person when they are gone, but some of the habits and routines she still follows just don't make sense without Casper there. Like waiting five minutes on an evening before she uses the bathroom, or taking her clothes and towels into the shower with her, even though her bathroom is an en-suite.

Today, as he walks to the door, James Harvey tries not to get his hopes up, but still runs through the checklist in his mind.

_Am I expecting anyone?_ The answer is no.

_Is Kat expecting anyone?_ Most likely no again – she is less sociable in Casper's temporary absence and besides this, she would have said something if she were expecting visitors, because she needs to warn her father to keep the Ghostly Trio out of the Manor so they do not scare anyone.

_Are Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie expecting anyone?_ The notion seems ridiculous; why would ghosts have visitors? But occasionally the ghostly attendants of their parties like to ring the doorbell. Still, the Ghostly Trio always give a couple of days' notice before their parties now, or at least a few hours, so that anyone who does not wish to attend can clear out for a while.

_Is it the mailman?_ No, of course not; it is Sunday and they normally receive any post they get earlier than this, because the mailman likes to get this place out of the way quickly.

Despite his best efforts not to get his hopes up as he approaches the front door, which is now in sight and getting closer fast, James Harvey feels his hopes building up rapidly. He can't think of anyone else it might be, as realtors and door-to-door salespeople tend to avoid Whipstaff like the plague because of its reputation as a haunted house – a reputation which the Ghostly Trio are extremely proud of.

Dr Harvey opens the door to a sixteen-year-old boy carrying a duffle bag. At first nothing particularly strikes James about this boy, except that he is exceedingly good-looking and around Kat's age. Then the boy smiles and greets him, and something about the colour of the boy's eyes, the sound of his voice and the particular way he smiles, the always-happy smile, causes James to smile too.

Because it _is_ Casper. He's lived with the kid for four years. He'd recognise him anywhere. Kat would, too.

"Casper," James says, thrilled to meet the kid again. They share a grin for a moment before James steps aside to let Casper in.

"You did it," James can't help but say. "How?"

Casper's brow creases slightly in thought. "I'm trying to remember," he says. "It was a procedure, but it wasn't perfect, because I can remember some things and there are others I can't, but it'll come back to me eventually."

Dr Harvey has so many questions, but he does not ask them just yet. Casper has just returned home. He will want to know that everything is okay.

He does, of course. Casper is more than pleased to see Dr Harvey again, and has dozens of questions of his own. How is Dr Harvey? How is Kat? How are his uncles? Have they learned to serve themselves without him? Has he missed anything good while he was gone?

Casper bombards Dr Harvey with these questions and many more, and Dr Harvey answers them smoothly. Everyone is fine, his uncles are only somewhat self-sufficient, and then only when everyone else is busy, and little of interest has actually happened over the last few months other than Kat getting a Saturday job and learning how to drive. Oh, and a truly _remarkable_ trick pulled by the Ghostly Trio on some kids who'd intended to prank the house.

"It's about lunchtime," Dr Harvey says, as they continue to stand in the entrance hall. "Would you like to join us?"

"Yes please," Casper says gratefully. He is starving, not having actually eaten much since the dinner-stop last night other than a Hershey's bar and a bag of potato chips he bought on the way back to the greyhound.

As they turn toward the kitchen, he hears the door of the den open and close, and then Kat says, "Dad? Who was at the door?" and steps into view.

Casper's breath – which is something he has gotten used to quicker than everything else about his new body – is immediately gone and his heartbeat – something a little stranger for him – goes through the roof. Dressed in a thin sweater and a pair of loose jeans, her hair dishevelled and brushed behind her ears to keep it away from her face, she is more stunning than he remembered.

And then suddenly she spots him, and she recognises him. He sees her pause, mouth his name, and abruptly grin from ear to ear and run to him, bare feet slipping and sliding just a little on the floor as he drops his duffle bag and she launches herself into his open arms.

He wraps his arms around her body, now smaller than his own, and _oh_, it feels so _good_ to be able to hold her, to feel her warm body against his own, her heartbeat against his chest, their breathing in sync, so he holds her as close as he can and he breathes her in, so deep, just like she told him she used to do with her mother.

And she smells _amazing_.

Kat gives his frame one final squeeze and lets go, looking up at him, taking in his new appearance. He waits patiently for her to say something, and when she speaks, she says, "You're older than last time you were alive."

"So are you," he replies, and she exhales as though she is laughing and smiles, hugging him again.

They go to the kitchen for lunch and hearing his uncles already in there, he hangs back; but then Kat takes his hand gently and leads him into the room anyway. Immediately they are hit by a barrage of catcalls and some things slightly more vulgar than whistling, which only stop when Stretch stares hard, tilts his head, squints and recognises Casper.

"Hey, Glow-worm," Uncle Stretch says, "what happened to _you_?"

Casper grins.

"Hey, looks like someone got himself a new body," Fatso says, finally catching on.

"Yeah, with good personal hygiene and everything," Stinkie mocks.

Casper's grin widens. He is having the time of his (new) life.

Lunch is heaven, especially after the greasy diner food he ate last night. Real food, not just something to keep him from starving but something to really _enjoy_. Real food and good company.

Kat… another chance at life… and surrounded by his family… he has everything he's ever wanted; the few things he's truly _yearned_ for, even when he was alive the first time.

Apart from a dog.

After lunch, Casper is perfectly content to just sit in the den and spend some quality time with the others, most likely sharing his seat with Kat, but Dr Harvey thinks he should go straight to city hall and collect his inheritance. Kat tells Dr Harvey that no, he shouldn't do that yet, he's had a long journey and needs some rest. Casper smiles at her gratefully and, when they are in the den and she perches like always on the arm of their seat, he leans his head against her shoulder, closing his eyes contentedly and smiling when he hears her sigh.

"I missed you so much," he tells her quietly, pulling her closer so that she is actually on the edge of the seat's arm. Any closer and she will literally fall straight onto his lap.

"Me too," she tells him gently. "Every day."

"Kat?"

"Uh-huh?"

He places one hand on her head (his bare skin brushes her silky hair and he just _loves_ that he doesn't go straight through her anymore) and guides her gently closer again, so that her ear is less than an inch away from his lips, and he whispers, "Can I keep you?"

He sees another smile grow across her face – her whole face – it begins at her eyes and lips and gradually begins to infect the rest of her face until she is absolutely beaming with happiness; and in answer to his question she turns around and kisses him.

Just a short kiss, but good enough for him, and hopefully the first (second, counting the one at the Halloween party when they were twelve) of very many. Not a particularly passionate or lustful kiss, either, but it still causes the part of his brain which processes coherent thought to shut down completely and he is reduced to a love-struck gaze with a goofy grin to match. She has never answered the question directly, but he will continue to ask it until she does – especially if _this_ is the result.

"I'm glad you got here okay," Kat tells him softly. She had turned to face him, propping her elbow against the back of the armchair so she won't slip off the arm, and the other hand twitches as though she intends to lift it, but lies on her knee instead. "How long were you travelling for?"

"I got on the greyhound at about three yesterday afternoon," he tells her. "So about twenty-one hours, I think."

"Twenty-_one_?" Kat demands. "That's nearly a whole _day_! You must be exhausted!"

Casper shakes his head. "I'm not that tired. I slept on the bus."

"You didn't think to stop at a hotel or anything?"

Casper gently brings their foreheads together and tells her, "No. I didn't want to stop at a hotel. I just wanted to see you."

She pulls a face and says, "Casper, you're sweet. But you're alive now, and if living people don't get enough sleep, they get sick. Now come on, you need to get some rest."

Kat makes as if to stand up but Casper immediately pulls her straight into his lap and holds her tight. She doesn't bother trying to fight him and instead he feels her arms wrap around his torso. And although he _does_ feel tired, now that he thinks about it, he is perfectly content to just sit like this with Kat forever.

"I'm just fine like this," he tells her, fighting back a small smile.

"I know," she replies. "Me too."

She kisses his cheek gently, causing him to smile, even though he is falling asleep.

Kat runs her fingers through Casper's sandy hair, which is tangled and slightly coarse because he hasn't bothered to brush it, and enjoys the feeling of sitting across his legs. This is something she has waited patiently four years for; and it is something she refuses to allow herself to enjoy too much all at once for fear that if she does, it will wear off and he will become a ghost again.

It does not take long before Casper falls asleep – he is clearly in need of some good rest – and Kat reluctantly eases herself out of his grip so she can carry him to their room. Although, since he is alive again now, it probably won't be a room they share for much longer.

Actually, Kat is not sure how to go about carrying Casper to his room, and eventually settles for carrying him bridal-style, smiling fondly as he unconsciously nuzzles against her shoulders and wraps his arms around her again. He looks so _peaceful_ when he sleeps, she reflects, holding his thin frame close and steadying herself as his weight surprises her – he looks lighter than he is, and she still remembers when he was a ghost and seemingly weighed nothing.

* * *

When he wakes up, he is lying, fully-clothed, in his own bed, or at least what _was_ his own bed. He is less tired now, but waking up makes him long to be asleep again. Still, it is probably late afternoon, and Kat is standing over him, shaking his shoulder gently to wake him up, her hair falling all around her face and bordering it like a dark halo.

Can there be a more perfect sight to wake up to? He doubts it.

"Hey, sleepy," she says, smiling and holding the faintest trace of amusement in her voice. "Sorry to wake you up. We were gonna wait for you before we had dinner, but we're all starving. You coming?"

"Definitely," he says, although he has to clear his throat first. He throws the comforter away from his torso and springs to his feet beside Kat, suddenly full of energy all over again.

"Good," Kat says. She takes his hand and they begin to walk downstairs. "So, listen, which bedroom do you want? Because I can always swap if you –"

"No, no, it's alright," Casper replies, recalling that Kat's father sleeps in one of the spare rooms, and adds, "I'll move into the master bedroom – the one my parents used to sleep in."

"Are you sure? Because now you're alive again, I sort of feel like I'm kicking you out of your own –"

Kat is cut off when Casper kisses her gently on the lips. He pulls back again to see her staring at him, her cheeks slightly red and her pupils dilated; and he feels like he will forever be grateful to have the same effect on her now as she has always had on him. "It's my house," he tells her, cupping her cheek in his palm. "I can take whichever room I want."

"It's not your house yet," she remarks teasingly, smirking. "Not until you collect your inheritance."

He chuckles and mutters a "Soon…" which is supposed to sound dark and conniving but in actuality just makes them both laugh. They are still giggling a little as they make their way into the kitchen.

"What's so funny?" Dr Harvey asks politely, setting their meals down on the table. It seems they have ordered takeout.

"Nothing," Kat tells him, still giggling. "Casper made a funny joke."

"What was it?"

Kat waves the question away physically. "You wouldn't get it, dad. You really needed to be there. Honest."

Over dinner, Dr Harvey tells Casper that tomorrow he should go to city hall and collect his inheritance – namely, the money he has inherited from his family and the deed to the house – and he will then be put onto the school system. Casper tells Dr Harvey that, thank you, he is very grateful, and don't worry, he has no intention of making them move out.

He is virtually cross-examined about where he has been while he was away; what he has done; whether he remembers how he came to be alive again yet; how his journey was. He explains that he has been searching for someone who could help him to live and that he found them quickly, but had to wait around a while for the procedure to be ready. Then he tells them about the journey: roughly nineteen hours by greyhound, a couple more hours by taxicab, a brief detour to the graveyard (Casper's uncles look mildly touched that someone's actually bothered to visit their graves), checking the map and being hit on by Amber (Kat tenses at this part) and then walking up to the Manor on his own. It seems days, weeks, months, years, maybe even decades away by now.

"No wonder you're so tired," Dr Harvey says. "You should probably go straight to bed after dinner. We've got a long day tomorrow – not as long as the one you've already had, but I still think you should get some rest."

In spite of the doctor's advice, Casper stays up a couple of hours longer, to prepare his new room and spend some time with Kat. Of course, spending time with Kat is higher on his agenda than preparing his new room.

He spends all evening with her, mostly watching television together from their armchair, until he grows tired again, and then Kat goes with him to find a pillow and comforter. Although it is not used anymore, his parents' double bed – a four-poster with thin netting curtains _and_ heavy velvet curtains – is in pristine condition, the mattress in need of replacing but easily replaced with a spare mattress he remembers about.

It feels stranger to be _actually_ turning his parents' bedroom into his own as opposed to just _thinking_ about it; but he has to remind himself that it is not their room anymore. They have moved on and he has come back to life, and so it is his. The entire Manor is, really, but he doesn't care too much about that; he just wants to make sure the Harveys don't _have_ to leave. Ever.

He says goodnight to Kat, changes into the pyjamas from the duffle bag, shuts the light off, climbs into bed and draws the light netting curtains, wondering whether he'll dream of tomorrow, of his parents or of Kat.


	2. Always

**A/N: I enjoyed writing the first chapter of this fanfic (yes, I admit it, it's a fanfic) so hopefully this one turns out good, too**

**One of my personal favourite jokes about living in the UK is in this chapter, as well as a few references to other movies, books etc.**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Always**

_I will love you, baby – always, and I'll be there forever and a day – always._

_And I'll be there 'til the stars don't shine, 'til the heavens burst and the words don't rhyme,_

_And when I die, you'll be on my mind, and I'll love you – always._

_~Always_ by Bon Jovi

* * *

As it turns out, Casper does not dream at all that night. In his mind as he drifts off, he pictures all the things which he wants to dream about, but he falls into a deep, dreamless sleep which is only interrupted when a portable alarm clock, leant to him by Dr Harvey, rings shrilly. There is no time to be disoriented as he sits bolt upright and hastily switches the alarm off; then he flops back onto his mattress and closes his eyes for a few seconds, hoping he does not accidentally fall back asleep. His body feels stiff from sleeping so long, but at least he did not sleep on a bus this time.

He is about to wonder whether everything was all just a dream when his uncles yell from downstairs: "Hey! Short Sheet! We want our breakfast!" and his eyes slide open. Realising he is now staring up at the canvas above his parents' bed, he feels almost _too_ calm knowing that he is not dreaming. He almost wishes it _is_ all a dream, so he can get back to it, but then he remembers two important things:

Important Thing Number One: he can get back to it _right now_, just by getting up, although the bed is extremely comfy and getting up is proving more difficult than, perhaps, it should.

Important Thing Number Two: if he does not get up and make breakfast for his uncles _right now_, he is in trouble. As in, need-to-build-another-Lazarus trouble.

So he gets up, finds a robe with matching slippers in his father's closet, puts on the slippers and ties the robe around his waist (they are too big, but not by much) and heads downstairs. He is still yawning and stretching when he reaches the kitchen.

Kat, Dr Harvey and the Ghostly Trio are already seated at the table; the Trio are staring at him expectantly and impatiently, Dr Harvey is reading his paper and sipping a coffee, and Kat is eating toast. Casper feels dismayed. "I should've gotten up earlier," he says longingly. "I could've made breakfast for you."

He loves those days when he and Kat get up earlier than everyone else and he can make breakfast for her. It reminds him of the day they met properly – the first conversation they ever really had – only much less awkward and more fun. He and Kat smile softly at each other, and he stares into her dark eyes as best he can, but the moment is interrupted by Uncle Fatso, who says, "Hey, you can still make breakfast for us, Short Sheet."

Casper opens his mouth to say something but changes his mind, deciding it is simply not worth it, and crosses to the cupboard where he fetches their breakfast.

"Do I _have_ to go into school today, dad?" Casper enjoys the fact that Kat's eyes follow him around the room as he makes his own breakfast and takes his seat at the table.

"Sorry, Bucket," her father tells her tenderly. "I know you want to stay home today, but how about we drive you in? Okay?"

Kat agrees and Casper hurries to finish his breakfast, brush his teeth and hair, and change. He wants to look smart for going to city hall but his suit needs ironing, so he digs up a suit which belonged to his father and, if his still-returning memories are right, shrunk in the wash. It is a smart suit but he leaves the bowtie and waistcoat behind and hurries downstairs. His uncles jeer at his tidy appearance but he ignores them.

They clamber into the car, Casper taking the back seat so Kat can ride shotgun with her father, but she just slides into the seat next to him, although it's not as if he has any complaints.

They spend the entire ride to school chatting happily. If not for the fact that they are catching up with one another, it would be as though he never left, and he likes it.

When they reach the school, Dr Harvey says, "See you later, Bucket," and swivels round in his seat to give Kat a kiss on the forehead. She smiles and says goodbye, and just before she gets out of the car she quickly and deliberately steals a chaste kiss from Casper, who sighs contentedly and slumps back in his seat. He can't help it; she just has that effect on him.

"Casper, do you want to come sit shotgun with me?" Dr Harvey asks, and Casper quickly switches to the front passenger seat, because there is a mild undertone to Dr Harvey's voice which tells him the doctor wants to talk about something.

As the car pulls away, Dr Harvey sighs and says, "I feel like I should be going through the whole father-gives-the-Spanish-inquisition routine with you, Casper," and Casper can hardly blame him. After all, the fact that he is crazy about Kat is no big secret. He could not be more obvious if he tried. Then Dr Harvey adds, "I think you know what I mean. The whole what-are-your-intentions-towards-my-daughter thing. But… I think we both know the answer to that question."

Casper nods and they sit in silence for a few moments as the car continues on its way before Dr Harvey goes on to say, "She missed you while you were away. More than she wanted to let on, I think."

Casper replies, "I don't want to sound selfish, Dr Harvey, but I… I'm glad she did. I missed all you guys."

"Well, you're back and that's the important thing. And so long as you don't hurt my daughter –" Casper looks horrified at the thought – "Then you have my blessing." Casper grins and thanks him several times.

They pull up outside the city hall. Dr Harvey puts the car into park and sits there for a moment, waiting patiently as Casper pauses.

"I don't know if I can do this," Casper says quietly. His stomach is twisting and turning painfully, making him feel sick. He rests his forehead on the dashboard, stares at his shoes and takes several shaky, unsteady breaths. Finally the discomfort in his stomach dies down and he is able to raise his head again.

The idea of collecting his inheritance upsets him more than visiting the graves of his family, maybe because it feels like a further step to accepting that his parents and uncles are dead and he is alive, even though his uncles are still pretty much with him. Dr Harvey pats his shoulder, which offers him some comfort, and he is able to get out of the car after several more minutes.

* * *

In school, Kat tries to calm her anxiety unsuccessfully. She wants time to move faster, she wants to go home, she wants to see Casper again and make up for the past few months, and she wants it to be tomorrow when, hopefully, he will start school with her.

But time has a habit of doing the exact opposite of what you want it to and Kat finds that time is dragging more and more with each glance she throws the classroom clock or her watch.

And then there is Amber, who refuses to stop questioning her about "the ultra-hot guy who said he was going to see you". How do they know each other? Are they close? Does Kat think she's even got a _chance_ with him if Amber's around?

Of course, Kat can't really answer those questions because it will sound too crazy if she tells the truth and she doesn't want to lie, so she stays silent, but she knows the answers already. She knows him because he is Casper McFadden, former ghost of the boy who lived in Whipstaff before he got ill one winter and died. They are ridiculously close, closer definitely than Amber and Vic were before their overdramatic breakup some weeks previously; after all, they've been best friends and even slept in the same bed every night for nearly four years. And Kat doesn't _think_ she's got a chance, even with Amber around: she _knows_ she's got a chance, _especially_ with Amber around. It's been obvious to her since the first morning she spent in the Manor, when he made her breakfast.

Clearly everyone has forgotten about the Halloween dance four years ago. And if they haven't, Amber was not there when Casper showed up and requested (non-verbally) to dance with Kat anyway. So she won't know him.

Still, Kat ignores Amber as best she can, even though the relentless string of annoying questions continues. She is relieved when lunch begins.

Oh geez, why is today taking so long? It is getting on her nerves.

* * *

Casper is successful in collecting his inheritance, although the officials are confused about how they have no record of him and he tells them he is Uncle Stretch's descendant and has been living out-of-town all his life, which is part-true: he has rarely been into the town as a ghost and _is_ related to his uncles. Besides, he always liked to think he looked just a little bit like Uncle Stretch the first time he was alive.

The inheritance has actually come to a fair amount of money as well as the Manor, and although there is some confusion over who Whipstaff's deed belongs to, Casper says, "It's Dr Harvey's house too and either way I want him to stay. Besides, I'm still a minor," and the whole thing is swiftly dealt with.

They also successfully enrol him in school and take him out to get some new clothes, because his father's clothes don't quite fit him yet and he has grown out of those which belonged to him. So far today, everything is going well, he would like to think.

Unfortunately, when he gets home, he is faced once again with the fact that the house is _his_ now. He is not sure whether he wants to make it his own or whether he wants to keep it the same as it has always been. He has no idea where to go from here. He settles for searching out some cardboard boxes and folding his parents' clothes neatly into these, and then stacks the boxes neatly against the wall next to the door, planning to sort through them later.

The room is essentially a large square. Some of the wallpaper is peeling off near the ceiling, which is a pity because he always admired it, so he decides that at the weekend he will search for wallpaper of the same kind and, if he does not find anything, then he will tear down the wallpaper, store it away and paint the walls instead. The floor is solid wood and in need of a clean, and the windows need wiping down, but otherwise the room is in good condition.

The door is on the far right of the room from his viewpoint, about half a metre away from the wall, and the walk-in closet is directly opposite this, next to the bed. From the bed, the French windows to the balcony are on the left and he suddenly rushes through them, remembering excitedly that he can see the balcony of their – _Kat's_, he reminds himself – bedroom from his own.

On the wall opposite the balcony is a painting of his deceased family: his mother and father, sitting on delicately embroidered chairs; himself, kneeling in front of them; and his uncles standing behind them. Casper stares as them all and has a sudden urge to go and see his uncles, but he is not actually sure where they are, so he instead puts his clothes into the handsomely-carved chest of drawers and the closet, and decides to keep up the painting, but also to get a photograph of his new family some time.

There is also an en-suite near the walk-in closet and Casper packs away a new toothbrush and several other toiletries, some of which he is not sure of the use for. When this is done, he looks around the room, sighs and heads downstairs to see Dr Harvey.

"Everything okay?" Dr Harvey asks as Casper examines the bookshelf in the den for something to read.

"Yeah," Casper says, carefully going over the books. He and the Harveys keep them neat, but they are always careful because the Ghostly Trio like to switch the books around sometimes to confuse them. "I guess I just miss my parents. It feels different thinking about them now to how it did before."

"Different how?"

"I guess thinking about the dead is different when you _are_ dead," Casper shrugs. "If that makes any sense."

"When you _are_ dead, the dead feel closer to you than when you're alive," Dr Harvey summarises thoughtfully.

"That's right!" Casper exclaims, and then realises that as crazy as a psychiatrist for ghosts sounds, it's actually made him feel better. Dr Harvey really knows his stuff. Casper asks, "Dr Harvey, have you –"

"Don't worry about calling me Dr Harvey," Dr Harvey interrupts with a wave of his hand. "We've known each other for four years, Casper. I know you were raised to be _proper_ but you can just call me James if you want. Or Doc," he adds jokingly.

"Or Dad," teases another voice, and Casper groans. He may miss them when they are gone, but when they are away he seems to forget how they live (well, maybe not _live_) to embarrass him when they are at the Manor.

However, today they evidently plan on embarrassing Dr Harvey as well, as he turns at least as red as Casper.

"Fellas, that's not really appropriate –"

"Why not?" Stretch demands. "Face it, if this was the UK, they'd be old enough to have a two-year-old kid by now."

"No we wouldn't," Casper defends. "You said so yourself, you have to be sixteen to–"

"Not according to most of the fourteen-year-olds over there, you don't," Stretch responds, leering just a little. Casper hides his face in his hands and pretends he is not hearing this.

Besides, he's pretty sure Dr Harvey just meant it wasn't appropriate to imply marriage just yet. And now apparently Dr Harvey and Uncle Stretch are having two separate conversations. Casper checks his watch and prays for time to hurry up so Kat will arrive and he will no longer be subjected to this torture.

* * *

Five more minutes.

Kat stares intently at the clock.

Five more minutes and she will be free. She just needs to hold out five more minutes and she can escape from Amber, go home, and see Casper.

And not just Amber anymore, either. Others have heard Amber's inquisition, put two and two together, and somehow come up with twenty-two. People are now demanding to know whether she has a boyfriend. The news surprises them, and for good reason: after Casper left a few months ago she became a recluse, especially in school; and even before that she never used to date. She even still tells herself now that it is because she was upset by what Vic did and she didn't want to upset Casper (who she knew would always accept it if she dates someone, regardless of his own feelings) but now she is having to fight off the notion that actually, she's been waiting for him to find a way to come alive again.

Not only that, either: although he may not think she does, she remembers very clearly that almost a year ago now, when he had thought she was asleep, Casper asked her if she would be his girlfriend if he were alive. She remembers struggling to fake being asleep, wanting just to hug him for almost no reason at all, and offering a sleepy "Mm-hmm" like she did when he asked if she would go to the Halloween dance with him if he were alive.

Finally the bell rings and Kat is literally out of the door before anyone can blink. She hurries home, flings the door open, dumps her stuff in her room and then scrambles into the den, where her father and Stretch are arguing two different arguments at once, with the help of Fatso and Stinkie. Casper, curled up in the armchair and trying to make himself as small as possible, glances up from his book and a look of such clear relief spreads over his face that she can't help but smile.

She mouths "Come with me if you want to live", dives into the room, grabs Casper by the wrist and proceeds to run as fast as she can. Luckily he has no trouble keeping up with her. Only when they reach the front porch do they actually stop; and then, when they have flopped onto the front-porch swing, the first thing they can do is grin at each other before they burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

"Thanks," Casper says when they can breathe again, and the relief is evident in his voice as well as his face. "They've been having that argument for two whole _hours_."

"Why didn't you just leave?" Kat asks.

"When I made a break for it, Uncle Stinkie and Uncle Fatso tried to lock me in the closet until you got home… they were saying something about playing Seven Minutes in Heaven."

Kat smirks. "I wouldn't think you'd have minded."

"Maybe not, but two hours and seven minutes locked in a closet is two hours too long."

Kat smiles and toys with a strand of his hair. Now that he has had time to start looking after himself, his hair is almost softer than it looks, and beautifully silky. She examines his face, of which she gets a side profile as he leans contentedly against the back of the swing, eyes closed and a smile on his face. It is not difficult to see why Amber is so interested in him. Forget handsome (although he is); Casper is gorgeous.

"Did you get everything sorted?" she asks, swinging her legs below her, in her loose-fitting jeans and vibrantly-coloured t-shirt.

"Yeah," Casper answers. "I'm starting school tomorrow." Kat notices that the only step he has taken towards changing out of his father's suit is removing the jacket and untucking the shirt, giving himself a smart-but-scruffy look which, in her opinion, suits him beautifully.

"All the girls will lose their _minds_ when they see you," she tells him softly, before she can stop herself.

Casper chuckles and asks, "Even you?"

"I'm used to it."

"I hope not."

As Kat opens her mouth to answer, Casper catches the wrist of the hand playing with his hair and gently kisses her knuckles, causing her cheeks to grow warm and her knuckles to tingle. When his blue eyes turn to hers, she becomes so flustered that she has to examine the pattern on the swing's cushioned seat, and then something catches her eye: a book sitting open in his lap, his right hand saving the page. The thumb of his left hand is brushing gently across her knuckles.

"What're you reading?" she asks, and he lifts up the book to show her the cover.

"_Howl's Moving Castle_," he replies. "I figured it was about time I got around to reading those books you and your dad bought. Diana Wynne Jones is funny."

"I thought you might like it."

"I can't really tell yet. I've only just started." Casper puts the book down and uses one of his legs to gently rock the swing, then he says, "Kat, do you remember when you asked me how we used to entertain ourselves when I was alive, because TV hadn't been invented yet?"

Kat nods. "You couldn't answer because you didn't remember." Then she has a very small-scale epiphany. "Did you remember the answer?"

He nods. "Yeah. We used to sort of take turns, me, my parents and my uncles. When we all lived in the house together. Most nights we'd all sit in the den and someone would read aloud from a book. I think Uncle Fatso was the best."

Kat snorts. "I find that hard to believe."

"No, really!" Casper insists. "He's got a really good voice for storytelling, because his voice is so deep!"

Kat hums noncommittally. "So… did you ever read aloud?"

"Yeah, but I'm nowhere near as good as –"

Casper is cut off when Kat deliberately tucks her legs up beside her on the swing and leans her head on his shoulder. While he is reeling from the physical contact, she asks him to read to her from his book.

Now flushed bright red, Casper clears his throat and picks his book up. "_When Sophie woke up,_" he reads, "_daylight was streaming across her. Since Sophie remembered no windows at all in the castle_…"

Kat sits like this for a while and listens to Casper read. He has a pleasant, steady voice which changes slightly for each character he reads. His face, especially the eyes, softens when he really gets into it, and his voice becomes gentle, loving. She can imagine that, if Fatso ever gave up on joking around for long enough to read aloud, his voice probably underwent a similar transformation, maybe becoming deep and rumbling. She decides that, though she has yet to see (or hear) evidence for herself, Casper is probably right about his uncle being a good storyteller.

* * *

When Kat wakes up (the next morning, of course), daylight is streaming across her. Morning daylight, obviously. She shuts off her alarm, pulls herself out of bed and throws open the French windows. The fresh air usually does her some good in the mornings.

Excitement makes her queasy all through breakfast, and it is only when her father threatens to spoon-feed her that she manages to eat. She silently thanks whoever has helped Casper come alive again for managing it so soon. After nothing but takeouts and meals she and her father cooked for months, Casper's cooking is heaven. If not for the fact that they are in a rush to get to school because they want to walk together, she would seriously be taking her time with breakfast.

Kat wears a thin burgundy sweater and a pair of loose-fitting jeans, and Casper chooses a pale blue dress-shirt and brown pants. Kat suspects he caught her staring yesterday when she got home from school.

Just like she predicted, all eyes are on them as they enter the building, especially since Casper insists that they go in together and, if not hand-in-hand, then with their arms linked. Girls shoot Kat jealous looks and even a few boys look envious, but Casper is not affected. He just continues to walk, almost skipping, grinning broadly and looking proud of himself. Kat feels slightly more self-conscious under all the stares and sudden attention, and clings a little tighter to Casper, who chuckles softly and sneaks his hand into hers.

As Kat opens her temperamental locker and Casper leans happily against the locker next to her, beaming and looking excited to be starting school again.

_That'll fade quickly,_ she thinks with a smirk, and as soon as her lip twitches upwards his smile becomes infectious and she's grinning back at him while she grabs her things from her locker and leads him to reception to get his timetable.

Unfortunately, they pass Amber on the way. Casper wants to hide behind Kat but like Dr Harvey said, he was raised proper, and it sure wouldn't be chivalrous to turn Kat into a human shield. Besides, he needs to fend Amber off for himself. Otherwise she'll probably keep coming back. Like a stalker.

Or an illness.

So he subtly moves in front of Kat just a little and casually says, "Hello."

"Remember me, honey?" Amber asks flirtatiously. Casper can feel Kat's arm tensing against his own as her grip on his hand tightens in annoyance.

_It's okay, Kat,_ he thinks softly. _You know I'd never fall for Amber._

"Vaguely," he tells Amber. He pretends he hasn't remembered her, hoping it will put her off. "I think I've seen you somewhere."

"Uh, _yeah_," Amber says, moving closer. "I helped you get directions to Whipstaff, remember?" She looks up at him and twirls a strand of hair around her finger.

"Really? I thought I got my directions from a map." Casper's not normally this blunt, but he senses that Kat is not happy with this exchange.

"Uh…" unfortunately, Amber recovers quickly. "Anyway, what're you doing hanging out with _that_…" she sends Kat a dirty look and Kat glares back, "… when you could hang out with _me_?"

"Why wouldn't I hand out with Kat?" Now Casper is tensing as well.

"Well, that's just ridiculous! I mean, how close are you that you'd rather hang out with _that_ than _me_?"

"Best friends forever and a day," Casper replies, even though he knows it sounds corny. But heck, he likes the way it sounds. "And she's my girlfriend," he adds when Amber doesn't seem thrown-off, and he sneaks his arm out of Kat's grip and around her shoulders instead, pulling her close to him and trying not to forget how to think when her smell, which is so purely _Kat_ – which makes sense, her smell being her, even though he can't really describe it – reaches his nose.

Kat blushes and looks at him out of the corner of her eye. She looks _adorable_.

Amber, on the other hand, looks less than pleased. She storms away without saying anything.

"You know, traditionally you _ask_ a girl if she'll go out with you before announcing it," Kat tells him, but judging by her tone, she doesn't really mind.

"Well, I just –"

Kat covers his mouth gently with her hand and says, "It's okay. I agreed a year ago that I'd be your girlfriend if you were alive."

Casper blushes and gently removes her hand from his mouth, asking, "You heard that, huh?"

"Yeah," Kat says, chuckling softly. "But I said yes, and you're alive now, and I'm _not_ going back on my word. So I'm your girlfriend." And Kat kisses Casper quickly on the lips before leading him, stunned and overjoyed, to reception.

Again, Kat is proved right about all the girls losing their minds over Casper when they get to class. She is certain his uncles were involved when his timetable was being sorted out, because it matches hers in everything except for PE – which, obviously, he takes with a different class to her. They sit together at the back in their first class and at first, nobody notices them.

Then the teacher says, "Alright, class, we have a new student with us today. Please welcome…" he checks the slip of paper in his hand, and then double-checks it with a look of surprise on his face. The shock is evident in his voice when he says, "Casper McFadden…"

Casper realises now that he recognises the teacher. As a little boy, the man had been a socially awkward outcast who was frequently bullied and had very few friends, until one day he was chased into Whipstaff Manor and met Casper. They were friends for a while, and then the boy – Tom Williams, he was called – had had the confidence to go out and make friends with other kids who were alive, and Casper had been happy for him.

He suddenly realises that he knows the embarrassing secrets of probably all the adults in town. His uncles would tell him to act on this immediately, but he decides to keep the information hidden away for use in an emergency-only situation.

Silently he stands, and makes his way to the front of the room. All the girls sit up a little straighter in their chairs as he does. He reaches the front of the room and faces the class, eyes casually glancing over them all but only seeing Kat give him an I-told-you-so smirk which captures his attention for a few moments, before he is brought back to reality by Tom Williams asking him to tell the class something about himself.

"Well, I… haven't gone to an actual school since I was twelve," he says, "and I recently traced my family tree and moved here. I… I'm excited to be going to school again, I guess."

"Since you were _twelve_?" asks a guy who Casper thinks might be Vic, someone Kat had a crush on four years ago. "Why so long?" His tone is mocking.

"I've been ill," Casper says simply. He and Kat share another hidden smirk.

"Are you, by any chance, related to the McFadden family who lived in Whipstaff Manor?" Mr Williams asks cautiously.

Casper shoots him a meaningful look and says, "Yes. I just moved in with Kat and her family."

The expected mute shock passes through the room as everyone but Kat and Mr Williams stares at him in surprise. This happened when Kat first said she was living at Whipstaff, too. After all, the place is (rightly) reputed to be haunted.

Casper gets to sit down after that, and he spends much of the lesson trying to avoid making eye contact with any girl who isn't Kat. Surprisingly, this is fairly easy, as Mr Williams tells off anyone who turns around to stare at Casper rather than paying attention to the lesson. When the lesson ends, Mr Williams calls Casper back, and Kat hangs back with him.

"Casper…" Mr Williams begins cautiously, as though he is not sure he has read the signals right. Casper grins.

"Hi, Tom."

Tom Williams grins back. "I thought I recognised you. I couldn't be sure. I never saw you…"

"Alive," Casper finishes, unable to hold back another smile. "I know."

They say goodbye to Tom Williams and exit the room, where a throng of girls is waiting. They try their best to keep together but in the end Kat laughs, "See you on the other side!" and manages to force her way through the crowd and into and open part of the corridor. Girls are asking Casper about something but he ignores them and forces his way through the crowd (who are bitterly disappointed) and over to Kat.

"Regretting anything yet?" Kat teases. Casper takes her hand in his.

"No way," he tells her gently. "What was all that about?"

"Didn't you notice the posters? The prom's coming up! What do _you_ think it was all about?"

Casper smiles. "The prom, huh? Have you got anybody in mind?"

Kat looks away but squeezes his hand and says, "Yeah, I think I know who I want to go with."

"I'm pretty sure he wants to go with you, too," Casper tells her. He kisses her on the cheek and they head for their next class.

* * *

When they arrive home that afternoon, Dr Harvey is more than pleased to see Kat smiling again as she walks in the door with Casper. She didn't lose the ability when Casper went away, but she smiled less and less often.

"Dad!" Kat exclaims when she sees him, "Dad, can I borrow the car sometime this week?"

"What for?"

"A couple of the girls at school wanted to go get their prom dresses a city over and I said I'd go with them."

_Prom_? That's happening _this_ year?

"Are you going to the prom?" he asks both Kat _and_ Casper, who share a smile.

"Of course," Kat says. "But Casper told me about this great place just on the outskirts of town that does all its clothes by hand and I thought we'd go there for our outfits."

Dr Harvey does not miss Kat interlacing her fingers with Casper's, or the way Casper turns red and momentarily forgets how to speak.

"Well," Dr Harvey says, "I guess you can borrow the car tomorrow. You take care of my little girl, young man," he tells Casper jokingly.

"Back by midnight," Casper return-jokes.

"You guys are so corny," Kat tells them both bluntly.

* * *

Kat and Casper spend their time after dinner finishing up their homework – actual homework, not a euphemism, Uncle Stretch – in the den (because they are afraid that the teasing will get worse if they retreat to one of the bedrooms). As Casper is finishing his final math equation Kat quietly says, "Casper?"

Casper writes the last number and looks up. "Uh-huh?"

They are sprawled on the floor with their work set in front of them. Casper's right and Kat's left is a pile of their already-completed homework and between them are two small piles of the homework left still to do. Kat's legs, crossed at the ankle, sway in the air above her (his do the same; since they met he has copied her body language as a way to be closer to her), and her dark hair falls gently to her sides, jut ghosting (he mentally rolls his eyes at himself for thinking the word "ghosting" in a haunted house) the floor. Her brown eyes turn to him.

"I think I know how you felt when I nearly went to the Halloween party with Vic."

She looks like she does. Her jaw is slightly tense and she is frowning, but her eyes are sad. Casper shuffles closer to her and strokes her cheek, ready to listen to what else she has to say:

"When all those girls – and especially Amber – were all over you, I didn't know how to react. I just didn't think I could take it if you actually went –" Kat's voice cracks a bit and she wipes away tears which spring to her eyes, laughing bitterly. "Jeez, I sound like such a hypocrite. I did that to you, didn't I?"

Kat hugs Casper and whispers, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," into his shoulder as he sits up and returns the hug, stroking her hair.

"It's okay, you didn't know," he tells her.

"I just feel like a jerk now," she replies.

"Well, you're not." Casper takes hold of Kat's shoulders, holds her at arm's length and looks her straight in the eyes. "And besides, you know I wouldn't want to be with Amber or any of those other girls. Just you, Kat. Always."

Kat wipes her eye on her sleeve and bats his hands away gently. "You know I don't believe in love at first sight."

Casper teases, "I dunno. You turned bright red when I asked you to dance with me at the Halloween party…"

Kat turns bright red. "I – I did not!"

He leans close and whispers, "Want to know why I believe in love at first sight?"

Kat smiles and whispers back, "Why?" and stares at his lips, which are centimetres away from her own.

"Because of you," he whispers in reply. "I got Carrigan to call you here because I saw you on the TV and I –"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence because she kisses him before he can start even saying 'love'.


End file.
